Would Labor Issues Turn You Off Apple?: Poll

Olivia Oran

Thursday

Jan 26, 2012 at 12:01 AMJan 26, 2012 at 2:37 AM

Would hearing about labor abuses from Apple suppliers change your decision to buy an iPhone or iPad?

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Apple(:AAPL) execs have long known about abuses of its Chinese workers at its suppliers' factories but have turned a blind eye, according to a new report from The New York Times.

The allegations include knowingly hiring underage workers, improperly disposing of hazardous waste and forcing employees to work continuous shifts and extended overtime.

"We've known about labor abuses in some factories for four years, and they're still going on," a former Apple executive told The Times. "Why? Because the system works for us. Suppliers would change everything tomorrow if Apple told them they didn't have another choice."

The report comes after Apple released its annual supplier responsibility report which said the iPhone maker has a zero-tolerance policy for hiring underage labor.

Apple has not yet responded to a request for comment on this story.

We want to hear from you--does hearing about labor abuses from Apple suppliers change your decision to buy an iPhone or iPad?

--Written by Olivia Oran in New York.

>To follow the writer on Twitter, go to http://twitter.com/Ozoran.

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